Kishi Ganku was a self-taught Edo period painter, known especially for his paintings of tigers.
His personal style drew from influences of literati painting, the Nagasaki school of Chinese-style painting (including especially the works of Shen Nanpin), elements of Western realism, and the trend for shasei - drawing from life. Though no living tigers could be seen in Japan, in 1798 Ganku received a tiger's head which had been imported through Nagasaki as a gift; this allowed him to sketch a tiger's head with greater accuracy.
References
- Gallery labels, Santa Barbara Museum of Art.[1]